LEBOHANG Khitsane, 35, from Katlehong on the East Rand, is the proud owner of Bataung Memorials, a tombstone manufacturing company.
Khitsane is one of the 12 finalists in the television show, The Big Break. The finalists will battle it out for the R5million prize money. The show will be screened on SABC2, starting on February 2, and will run for 13 weeks.
"I am proud to be one of the 12 finalists. I think being selected is recognition of the hard work that we are all putting in to make sure our organisation becomes a success," Khitsane said.
He said if he wins the money, he will invest it in the company to make it even bigger than it already is.
"Our biggest challenge at the moment is finance, and because of the recession, a lot of people don't have money. It is tough but we are surviving," he said.
While he admits that he is the owner of the company, he refuses to hog all the credit for its success.
"I am the owner of the company but I regard this as a family business. My dream is to see it growing. I want to employ 1000 people by the year 2020 and to have 300 branches around the country. So far we only have six which are in Katlehong, Soweto, Vereeniging, Vosloorus, Jane Furse and Burgersfort," Khitsane said.
He credits his late father, Jacob Alfred Mokete, for his success.
"My mother died when I was very young. My father and my my aunts raised me. My father taught me that every man is an architect of his own fortune or misfortune," he said.
Ezra Ndwandwe, who came up with the concept and is one of the judges on the show, said: "The idea for the show is to demystify entrepreneurship. Since 1994 we have seen a number of cleaning and security companies spring up. So we came up with this idea to challenge aspirant entrepreneurs and make them think outside the box," Ndwandwe said.
Mason's future is cast in stone
LEBOHANG Khitsane, 35, from Katlehong on the East Rand, is the proud owner of Bataung Memorials, a tombstone manufacturing company.
Khitsane is one of the 12 finalists in the television show, The Big Break. The finalists will battle it out for the R5million prize money. The show will be screened on SABC2, starting on February 2, and will run for 13 weeks.
"I am proud to be one of the 12 finalists. I think being selected is recognition of the hard work that we are all putting in to make sure our organisation becomes a success," Khitsane said.
He said if he wins the money, he will invest it in the company to make it even bigger than it already is.
"Our biggest challenge at the moment is finance, and because of the recession, a lot of people don't have money. It is tough but we are surviving," he said.
While he admits that he is the owner of the company, he refuses to hog all the credit for its success.
"I am the owner of the company but I regard this as a family business. My dream is to see it growing. I want to employ 1000 people by the year 2020 and to have 300 branches around the country. So far we only have six which are in Katlehong, Soweto, Vereeniging, Vosloorus, Jane Furse and Burgersfort," Khitsane said.
He credits his late father, Jacob Alfred Mokete, for his success.
"My mother died when I was very young. My father and my my aunts raised me. My father taught me that every man is an architect of his own fortune or misfortune," he said.
Ezra Ndwandwe, who came up with the concept and is one of the judges on the show, said: "The idea for the show is to demystify entrepreneurship. Since 1994 we have seen a number of cleaning and security companies spring up. So we came up with this idea to challenge aspirant entrepreneurs and make them think outside the box," Ndwandwe said.